KARACHI: Despite tall claims by the government and law enforcement agencies, the killings of innocent citizens during street crime continued in the metropolis even during Eid days, as robbers shot dead a young man in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on the second day of Eidul Fitr.

With the latest killing, the number of citizens killed by robbers during the current year reaches 60.

Police said that dozens of citizens were deprived of their cash and valuables by muggers who also shot at and wounded some of their victims over resistance during the three days of Eid.

Several incidents of house robberies have also been reported during the three days of Eid.

DHA residence of former SSP, jewellery shop in Orangi looted

The police claimed to have arrested several suspected robbers in wounded condition after encounters in different city areas.

They also claimed to have killed a suspected killer of an army officer during street crime on March 31.

In one incident, a citizen was arrested for killing an already wounded suspect in the Gulshan-i-Maymar area.

Call centre employee shot dead by robbers

The police said that unidentified muggers killed a 37-year-old man seconds after he drew cash from an ATM near Gulshan Chowrangi on Thursday night.

Syed Turab Husain Zaidi, along with his friend Faisal Pervez, went to an ATM near his apartment to draw cash at around 11:35pm. As he came outside the booth, four robbers emerged there, held them at gunpoint and snatched cash and their cell phones.

The police said Turab put up resistance and one of the robbers opened fire on him and fled along with looted valuables. He suffered critical bullet wounds and was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Gulshan SP Ateequr Rehman told the media that the victim was father of two children and worked at a call centre.

The police registered a case on the complaint of victim’s relative Asghar Ali and launched an investigation.

The police recorded statements of witnesses and also checked CCTV footage in the same locality.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar has suspended the SHO of the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station.

Citizen held for killing wounded robber

Police have arrested a citizen after he killed a wounded suspect and the video of his act went viral on social media, it emerged on Friday.

DIG-East Azfar Mahesar said that a citizen was shot at and wounded by robbers in the limits of SITE-Superhighway Industrial Area police, after which the area people also got hold of one of the suspected robbers, who was severely beaten and then shot dead.

The police registered a case and launched an investigation. Later, investigators received a video clip in which a citizen, identified as Javed Bilal, could be seen shooting the wounded robber dead. It also transpired that Javed was relative of the citizen who was wounded during the robbery.

The area police arrested Javed after identification and also recovered from his custody the pistol used in the incident.

“It is imperative to clarify that citizens should inform on Madadgar 15 or area police about such incidents as per laws, even if a suspect is a dacoit,” a police statement said.

It added that handing over custody of such suspects to police was a legal requirement and citizens involved in illegal actions might face legal proceedings.

Suspect who killed army officer gunned down in ‘encounter’

A suspected robber, said to be involved in the recent killing of a serving major of Pakistan Army, was gunned down in the Lyari area, police said on Friday.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza said Major Saad Sheikh was shot at and wounded by some armed muggers after his weapon malfunctioned on March 31. He remained under treatment at a military health facility and died on April 8.

“A street criminal, Altaf Bengali, was killed in Baghdadi in an intelligence-based operation and his accomplice, Usman alias Cheena, arrested in wounded condition after a shootout in SITE,” the DIG said, adding: “Both the criminals are habitual offenders and were wanted by police in several cases.”

He claimed that Bengali was the ringleader of a six-member gang of robbers.

Meanwhile, unidentified theives looted a jewellery shop in Orangi Town on Friday morning.

Pakistan Bazaar SHO Imam Bux Lashari said that theives took away around Rs0.5 million and some gold from the shop.

Separately, unidentified thieves looted Rs4.4m, 30 tola gold and other valuables from the house of former SSP Ghulam Sarwar Abro in Defence, Phase-VIII.

According to the police, the suspects also took away the digital video recorder from the house.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2024